Dear Students at Tübingen,

 

Thank you for the questions you raised. They were thought provoking.

 

We, who are replying to your letters, are six students studying “Science of Religion” at Karlstad university, and a member of faculty from the same subject.

 

Since the subject RE in swedish schools is non-confessional, you gave us food for thought regarding the very foundation of the subject. The question that you address; "how is it possible for RE not to cease at the precept of neutrality" concerns the core of how one views the school subject. More specifically; the purpose of it. If we start off by taking this into to account, it might be a beginning of an answer.

 

Up until the early 20th century, Religion was one of the central school subjects in Sweden. (Indeed, one could argue that it was the very first of Swedish school subjects.) In 1919, the school subject became independent of the (then) State Church, but the content was still firmly teaching in Christianity. The big change came in the curriculum of 1962, when the topic was no longer specifically Christianity, but religion in general. However, it was unclear what the purpose of the subject really was to be. The answer that emerged, was “life questions”, together with ethics and knowledge about the world religions (defined as Judaism; Christianity; Islam; Hinduism; and Buddhism). (Dalevi and Niemi, 2016, pp. 63–64; Hartman, 2000; Osbeck, 2008; Osbeck and Skeie, 2014; Skolverket, 2011.)

 

It might be said we are seeing something of a change in the latest curriculum, from 2011, where life questions are not as prominent but pupils are rather trained to be what might be described as junior, academic scholars. (Cf. Selander, 2011.)

When it comes to RE in our context, it should give the students the opportunities to develop: the ability to analyse religions and outlooks on life based on different interpretations and perspectives, knowledge of human identity in relation to religions and outlooks on life, knowledge of different views on the relationships between religion and science, and the ability to analyse these, the ability to use ethical concepts, theories and models and the ability to examine and analyse ethical issues in relation to Christianity, other religions and outlooks on life. (Skolverket, 2011.) This means that the aim of RE says that the “Teaching should take as its starting point a view of society characterised by openness regarding lifestyle, outlooks on life, differences between people, and also give students the opportunity to develop a preparedness for understanding and living in a society characterised by diversity.” (Skolverket, 2011.)

 

As the curriculum states we have to teach from an objective point of view. To answer your question about neutrality we have to look at the fundamentals of being human. Is it possible for a human being to be neutral. We believe that humans will always be somewhat subjective, if not with words, then with body language or facial expressions. So the simple answer to your question might be no, there is no such thing as being “neutral”. The Swedish school and society does have Christian values and we are expected to incorporate those in our education. Keeping this in mind our education is not strictly neutral. Though the claim that the pupils will “drown” if not shown the ways of the various religions is something we have different feelings about. Even though we might not be completely objective or neutral in our education we give pupilstools to make their own choices. We teach students about various religions and life views to give them a pallet to choose from or make of what they want. It is more about giving the pupils the freedom to believe what they want. Our job is to give them the knowledge of other religions and life views, so that they would not, in your words, drown.

    

Furthermore, this is also seen in the academic disciplines which calls for a scientific approach. The question about neutrality can also be a philosophical one. One could argue that any content is based on selection, which includes the academic traditions. In the field sociology of knowledge this is put in some light (cf. Weber, in Boglind, Eliaeson & Månson, 2014; Foucault, 1987). However, one attempt to ensure neutrality is to show many perspectives put from many different positions. Swedish Religious Education contains philosophical-, psychological- and scientific perspectives and analyses.

 

It might be of interest for you to look at the official description of the school-subject; it’s character and aim: “Religion” (Skolverket, 2012); available online in English!
 

 

List of references

 

Boglind, A., Eliaeson, S. & Månson, P. (2014). Kapital, rationalitet och social sammanhållning. (4 ed.). Lund: Studentlitteratur.

 

Dalevi, S. & Niemi, K. (2016). “RE didactics in Sweden - defined by the national curriculum? Discussing didactics of re in a Swedish context.” Usuteaduslik Ajakiri, 69(1), 62–78. (First published as a conference paper at `Shifting Borders in Religious Education'. 13th Nordic Conference on Religious Education, 15-18 June 2015, at the University of Tartu, Estonia.)

 

Foucault, M. (1987). Övervakning och straff. Lund: Arkiv förlag.
 

Hartman, S. G. (2000). “Hur religionsämnet formades [Att undervisa om religion, livsfrågor och etik]”. In E. Almén, R. Furenhed, S. G. Hartman & B. Skogar (Eds.), Livstolkning och värdegrund (pp. 212–251).
 

Osbeck, C. (2008). “Religionsdidaktikens framväxt och utveckling i Sverige”. Didaktikens Forum, (2). Retrieved from http://www.mnd.su.se/polopoly_fs/1.41870.1324464347!/nr2_ar5.pdf
 

Osbeck, C. & Skeie, G. (2014). “Religious education at schools in Sweden”. In M. Rothgangel, G. Skeie & M. Jäggle (Eds.), Religious education at schools in Europe: part 3: Northern Europe (Vol. 3, pp. 237–266). Religious Education at Schools in Europe. Göttingen: Vienna University Press.
 

Sven-Åke Selander. “Från livsfrågor, etik och reflektion till samhälle, kunskap och

Analys”. In Religion och livsförståelse, 2 (2011).
 

Skolverket. (2011). Läroplan, examensmål och gymnasiegemensamma ämnen för gymnasieskola 2011. Stockholm: skolverket.se. Retrieved from http://www.skolverket.se/publikationer?id=2705

 

Skolverket. (2012). Religion. Stockholm: skolverket.se. Retrieved from http://www.skolverket.se/polopoly_fs/1.174562!/Menu/article/attachment/Religion.pdf